Deuter 30+ Guide Pack
November 17, 2008
What exactly makes a pack a “guide” pack? I really don’t know, all I know is that I have an immense attraction to things marketed as “guide” gear. As we know, most “guide” gear is made for guys, so a women’s guide pack is simply BEGGING to get on Geargals. So here it is – one of the few women’s specific “guide” packs out there.
First, I’ll be straightforward about what I think a “guide” pack should have – pockets. Compartments. Lots and lots of pockets and compartments. Lots of ways to store things and lots of ways to get into where things are stored – so access is the name of the game. This Deuter pack delivers on the access with one 2/3 length zipper, but is pretty minimal on the pockets and compartments. One main compartment and one top compartment, that’s all you get. Streamlined, for sure, but you better have a serious mind for organization if you need to know exactly where your stuff is and where to find it in your pack.
Second, I’ll be straightforward about what I think women’s packs don’t need – little plastic flowers attached to them. The plastic flower that came with this pack hit the trash on day one, and its surgical removal didn’t affect the function of the pack at all. REALLY? Amazing. Seriously, the pack is fine without the flower. Ditch the flower.
Flower safely ditched, I was really pleased with how this pack carried. Even stuffed to the gills, it was stable, fit well to my back, was easy to adjust, and had a perfectly sized harness. I chose to wear this pack on a long search exercise just because I knew it was comfortable to carry, and it definitely delivered. I was wishing for a little more size, but since it’s designed for a smaller frame, I guess there’s only so much stuff that it can carry and still stay comfortable. Still, if you’re going to use this as a real “guide” or search pack, you’re going to have to pack carefully because there is very little extra room. There is, however, a great carry system for ice tools and skis. The loops for ice tools are just awesome. Why other packs don’t have similar loops is kind of beyond me – does Deuter have the patent or are they just ahead of the game?
I feel like the ski loops are a bit tragic. They carry skis really, really well. The pack is one of the most stable packs in my arsenal, making it perfect for skiing. But there is no dedicated pocket for avalanche gear such as shovel and probe. Smart Geargals will not be carrying skis if they’re not also carrying an avalanche shovel and transceiver. Putting a shovel blade into the main compartment of this pack is not ideal. It will take up all the room and be hard to get out. So, I don’t use this as a ski pack. I wish I could, because I bet it would be great to ski with since it carries so well.
One other strange thing about this pack is that it doesn’t have a compression strap at the top. Kind of odd. I feel like there is some sort of pack design magic going on that I just haven’t figured out, because I really wish it had a compression strap. Advances in pack technology really have to be spelled out for me – how does this “no compression strap” thing work and what is with the random strap at the top where a compression strap should be? That strap doesn’t connect to anything, so what is it for? (Aaaand this section wins the prize for most times the word “strap” appears in a paragraph.) I guess it’s for carrying maybe a sleeping pad or something, but I’d prefer a normal compression strap.
So, another patented mixed review. I really, really like the way this pack carries. I think Deuter must have spent most of their time on engineering a well-sized harness and ensuring that the pack fits a woman’s frame properly. But did they forget to design any pockets? How about a water bottle pocket. Avalanche gear pocket? Car key pocket? Work with me here, give me just a few little pockets and I’ll be happier. Well, I’d be happiest with more pockets than that, but to have almost no pockets? Strange. Deuter should forget about designing a little plastic flower and start working on some pockets to go with that amazing carry system, wonderfully balanced pack, and well-fitting harness. And they should make a women’s guide pack that has a bit more capacity. But above all, they should keep making “guide” packs for women because someone has to do it, and if they can make a pack that carries this well, I know they can dial in that situation with the pockets. If this pack had a few more compartments and lots of access to them, as well as about another 10 liters in capacity, I would use it as my search pack, no question. I’ll be watching the Deuter line to see if they add such a Geargals-specific pack to their lineup – I’ll snatch it up right away for sure!
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Crumpler Sinking Barge Photo Bag
November 17, 2008
OK, confession time. I am not a photographer. The complexities of creating the beautiful images that grace web pages and walls everywhere are lost on me. At best I’m a picture-taker, so I would never call myself a photographer. I am, however, the esteemed picture-taker who has captured the images displayed on the Geargals site header, so I’ll just go with that as my qualifications for reviewing this photo bag from Crumpler. And an arduous task this is, too, because it’s going to be tough to convey how cool this bag is. In the picture above it just looks like a backpack, eh? Well, it’s a backpack all right, but it has every single photography-oriented feature that a picture-taker could think of. It has a special, shaped, padded pocket for your 35mm or your SLR (which I do have, by the way, so I know), little places for something called “film” (which I understand they used to use in the seventies, or something), and even a laptop sleeve and various other stashing-places for other stuff.
Like I said, I’m not a photographer, so I tried like hell to find another use for this bag. It fits a smaller frame well, is impossibly sturdy, and since I like bags with lots of compartments, I was determined to be able to use it for something other than lugging cameras, which I don’t do, well, ever. Alas, it’s pretty specialized and really is best as a photo bag. I can contend that it is a darn good photo bag, though, and Crumpler uses material that is practically bulletproof. Any field photographer would adore this bag and I don’t think it will ever wear out. It’s not light, but we’ve had that discussion, folks – it can be tough and not light, or light and not tough. If I were interested in protecting delicate photo equipment, I’d go with “tough”, but that’s just me. And I don’t think you’ll find much tougher than Crumpler (despite the name, “crumple” is something this bag absolutely won’t do). Crumpler makes a lot of messenger bags, photo bags, and various other types of stuff for haulin’ other stuff, and all of it is made with tough fabrics, sturdy construction, an eye for detail, and a weird name. Seriously. I’m not sure why they named this the “Sinking Barge” as that’s not really the image that I want to evoke in a bag that’s got all my cameras in it, but hey. I’m a reviewer, not a marketer….
Core Concepts Cadence Hoodie
November 17, 2008
New in the lineup this year is the Core Concepts Cadence Hoodie, which leaped its way into my heart with cute styling, flattering fit, and superwarm performance. Once again I have to defend the shirt against the rather bleah picture I have of it. Sorry about the headless mannequin. Really, it’s much cuter than this (the shirt, not the mannequin). I love the design of this shirt, with its curved side seams that are responsible for the body-conscious styling, and the simple but distinctive screened flower pattern on the front and back. Most importantly, though, it is WARM whether it’s being used as an outer layer or a base layer. As my readers know, I get my hands on a lot of gear, and I get a little jaded sometimes, you know, “how different can it be?” So if I find myself really liking a particular piece of gear, well that gear is probably pretty darn different. Usually I spend some time trying to figure out what it is that is making the item “different,” but this time I’ve just been having too much fun wearing it. I can’t be bothered to do my research when there are fun places to go and a cute, warm hoodie to wear! So I don’t really know that is different about the Core Concepts fabric that makes it extra warm, but it really is one of the best base layers I’ve tried this season. It makes a noticeable difference in chilly weather and if I’m going to be out for extended periods and want the warmth without the bulk, this is the one I reach for. I think the fact that it’s a pullover with no zippers makes it retain more heat, and that sounds techy, so I’ll go with that explanation.
One different thing about this hoodie that wasn’t immediately apparent is the ponytail hole in the back of the hood. I will guiltily admit that I never used the hood, so I really don’t know how the ponytail hole performs, but if you have always wanted a hood with a ponytail hole, well here it is. Now that I’m thinking about it, though, this might be pretty handy. No more static-y hair sticking to the back of my neck inside my hood! Good idea from Core Concepts.
The first thing I noticed about the shirt, though, was the styling. I really liked the curving, stretchy seams on each side that form a gather of sorts. They just made the shirt stand out a little bit and gave it a little bit of that vitally important extra-flattering power. There really are just so many shirt designs that are possible to apply to the human form, so it’s kind of nice to find a new one. I fear that the trend towards off-center and askew patterns will look dated in a few years, but until that happens you can look up-to-the-minute in the Cadence hoodie.
Now for today’s tangent. Hoodies. We love them, right? I sure do. Hoodies are all over the place. Hooded jackets, hooded coats, hooded shirts, hooded base layers…ok, that is a lot of hoods. And the other Geargals will browbeat me until I mention that hoods really are great for keeping the ol’noggin warm. When it’s really chilly out, I have been known to rely on hoods to keep me cozy. But all these hoods make it important to plan out your outfit. If you have a hood on your base layer, your mid layer, your insulating layer, and your outer layer, you are going to look like Quasimodo. So it’s becoming necessary to purchase two of every item, one in hooded version, one in non-hooded version, for infinite outfit-assembling possibilities. For cuteness factor alone, though, you can’t beat a hoodie and the Cadence is cuter than most. And warmer than many! And with a ponytail hole to set it apart. How can you lose?
